Moving abroad is a must for everyone at least once in your life. The benefits far outweigh the challenges. And I cannot stress how important it is for everyone to experience this, even if it is just for 6 months. And even if you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s and so on. However, there will be challenges. And it is important to go into it with your eyes wide open. So, if you are thinking of moving abroad, here are 3 tough truths you need to know.
- Stress
- Loneliness
- Fear
Stress
Moving abroad is a stressful life event. But that is okay. In order to grow, we have to get outside of our comfort zone. And our brains perceive that as stress. So it is normal to feel stressed. It doesn’t mean that you made a mistake. However, it is also a reminder to be kind to yourself. Plan to feel stressed and do something that will help you to feel better.
There are so many things to feel stressed and overwhelmed about. You’ll have money stress for sure. No matter how much you have saved you’ll feel like you don’t have enough. How will you find somewhere to live? Will anyone ever hire you (after only 2 weeks of unemployment!). The list goes on. Expect the stress, but be kind and be patient with yourself. It’s normal to feel all of those things but everything will work out.
Loneliness
You will feel lonely at times. We all see social media posts from friends or even acquaintances who’ve moved abroad and after a couple of weeks they seem to have a great group of friends. They seem to be doing fun things all the time. This only makes us feel worse as we think “why isn’t it like that for me?”. I can tell you, I had both. I had the fun filled weekends and the feeling of loneliness.
Very often, those photos are of people you’ve just met and may never see again. People are not posting their failures or their tough times. It’s normal to feel lonely. It doesn’t mean you are failing. It means you’ve moved to a new country where you know almost nobody. But it is easier if you expect it. Plan for it e.g. schedule a video call with friends from home every couple of weeks. Personally, I tried to embrace the feeling after reading Solitude by Michael Harris. Whatever you choose, understand that loneliness is simply part of the process.
Fear
Moving abroad pushes you outside of your comfort zone and fear inducing challenges can pop up daily. Firstly, there is the overall fear of failure. We’ve told all of our friends and family we are moving abroad therefore we feel if we come home 3 months later, we’ve failed. By the way, if you decide it’s not for you, that is fine. At least you tried. It is not failure.
We also have all the fears above about friends, or lack of, (Check out: How To Easily Make Friends In Your 30s), work, money etc. Then we also question whether we made the right decision. ‘Should I bet at home building a safe career?’ .’Am I doing the right thing?’. ‘Was this whole thing a mistake?’. The fears are normal. And you will experience some of them. But just know, again, it is part of the process. And it will pass.
I felt all of these things during my own experience. And despite all of them, moving abroad is still one of the best things I’ve ever done. For so many reasons, from personal growth through challenges, to experiencing another place, to the friends I’ve met, to the adventures I experienced, I cannot recommend it enough. For more, you might like 6 Reasons To Experience Life In A Different Country.
At the time though, I thought I was the only one who ever felt like this. I wish I knew we all feel those things. But maybe expecting these hard truths and knowing they are normal, will make it a little easier on you. Please share your stories in the comments and provide tips and advice for those who are about to take the leap!
As the cliché goes “Feel the fear and do it anyway”.
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